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CNN This Morning
Trump Threatens to Take Back the Panama Canal; President Biden Expected to Commute Dozens of Federal Death Sentences; Suspect in German Christmas Market Attack Had History of Troubling Social Media Posts That Grew Increasingly Dark. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired December 23, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
RAHEL SOLOMON, ANCHOR, CNN THIS MORNING: It is Monday, December 23rd and right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal? Because we're being ripped off at the Panama Canal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Back on stage in his first rally-style speech since the election, Donald Trump issues a new threat to take back the Panama Canal. Plus, weighing commutations before his time in office comes to a close, President Biden is expected to commute dozens of federal death sentences, and this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: There are none here -- oh, excuse me --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm trying to find a gentleman(ph) door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me too. Me too.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Do you have any more in the back?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: It's the most hectic time of the year. How Americans are trying to put a bow on their gifts list in the final days and final shopping blitz before Christmas day. Five A.M. here on the east coast, here is a live look at a very frigid New York City on this Monday before Christmas. Good morning, everyone, I'm Rahel Solomon in today for Kasie Hunt.
Great to have you with us. Donald Trump back on stage in his first rally-like speech since the campaign trail. The President-elect addressed a group of conservative activists in Phoenix, and he offered a preview of how some U.S. foreign policy might change when he's back in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You've got to treat us fairly, and they haven't treated us fairly. If the principles, both moral and legal of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Panama's President meantime issuing a strong rebuke of Trump's comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE RAUL MULINO, PRESIDENT, PANAMA (through translator): As President, I want to express that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas belong to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.
The canal will continue to be in Panamanian hands as the patrimony of our nation, and guaranteeing its use for the peaceful and uninterrupted transit of ships of all nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: But that didn't stop Trump who then posted this on social media, quote, "welcome to the United States Canal." Here to discuss this and more is political reporter for "NOTUS", Reese Gorman. Reese, great to have you.
REESE GORMAN, POLITICAL REPORTER, NOTUS: Thanks for having me on.
SOLOMON: So, what's your reaction to this? I mean, this focus on the Panama Canal sort of comes out of left field. It's unclear why the focus now on Panama Canal. What's your reaction?
GORMAN: Yes, I mean, this is kind of the way that Trump kind of just does what he does. He kind focus -- hyper focuses on certain issues. I mean, just last week, he was talking about Canada, how Canada is going to be the 51st state, how Justin Trudeau is governor of Canada instead of Prime Minister.
He kind of just bounces around. I mean, I think he's also talked about buying Greenland again this next upcoming President -- his next upcoming term like he talked about in the first term. He kind of hyper-fixates on these issues. And I mean, the reality of this actually playing out is very slim.
As you saw the President of Panama there say that he dare not, going to turn it over to American hands. Is it going to stay in Panamanian hands? And that's likely how it's going to remain. And there's really no avenue that I know of that Trump has of just taking control of the Panama Canal.
SOLOMON: But what does this suggest, do you think about what we might continue to see over the next four years from Trump on the foreign policy front? I mean, as you mentioned, there's the rift now with Canada and tariffs, Panama now. I mean, what does this say about what the next four years looks like when it comes to foreign policy?
GORMAN: Well, I think it definitely says that there's going to be a lot of -- kind of these issues that are taken on a whim. I mean, this whole conversation started with him just sending out a Truth Social post on the Panama Canal, something that we really didn't hear him talk about on the campaign trail.
It's kind of a shock of being like, what is he talking about? Where did this come from? And I think we're going to see a lot of that on foreign policy. I think you're going to see some late-night Truth Social post that kind of dictate the news cycle for the next coming days on foreign policy.
And they kind of comes out of left field, comes out of nowhere. And that's kind of what I believe you're probably going to see over the next four years, like you saw in his first four years of his administration.
SOLOMON: But is there a chance, especially when you're thinking about tariffs, when you're thinking about these negotiations that he's having, that some of this tough talk could actually be effective. You saw Justin Trudeau go to Mar-a-Lago. I mean, what about that?
[05:05:00]
GORMAN: I think it is a 100 percent effective. I mean, I think that there is some -- that foreign leaders -- I mean, as Trump said, he wants to be -- America to be feared again. He wants people to beat their -- adversaries and allies to both fear and respect America and not mess with it.
And I think you saw Trudeau, I mean, as you did -- I mean, you saw Trudeau kind of travel and then visit with President Trump, President- elect Trump, rather, after he made those tariff threats. You saw he -- Trump had a conversation with the President of Mexico after he made those tariff threats.
And so, these are ways that, I mean, Trump does have a unique ability to give foreign leaders to kind of just -- kind of go to his will and just talk to him. And that's something that he has because he is not afraid to do X, Y, Z, and the foreign leaders know that.
SOLOMON: Reese, I want to play for you something else that Trump said at that same event. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It will be the official policy of the United States government, that there are only two genders, male and female.
(CHEERS)
TRUMP: It doesn't sound too complicated, does it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: So, Reese, the question is, I mean, it's not just sweeping statements on foreign policy, but also sweeping statements on social issues. What do you make of this?
GORMAN: Yes, and this is something that he really touched on, on the campaign. The campaign -- I mean, they ran ads saying that Kamala Harris is for them, Trump is for us. I mean, this was an issue that they focused on. They focused on the transgender issue quite a bit during the campaign. And they believe that this significantly helped them, especially the transgender females, biological males playing in women's sports was an issue that they think it really helped them among kind of these voting groups, that they didn't win in the first term, because I think this message resonated.
And so, this is something that he focused on a lot during the campaign, that he just is carrying over now that he's about to take over the administration. And this is something that you'll likely still get to do, to see for sure here, focus on these transgender issues.
SOLOMON: Reese Gorman, great to have you. Thank you.
GORMAN: Thanks for having me on.
SOLOMON: All right, then straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, authorities digging for possible motives as questions mount in Germany over what could have been done to prevent that deadly Christmas market attack. Plus, Donald Trump trying to set the record straight over Elon Musk's rocketing political influence within the GOP.
And President Biden expected to commute death sentences for inmates on federal death row and one of his final acts as commander-in-chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have encouraged the President to seriously consider commuting the sentences to life in prison without hope of parole for these truly heinous criminals. There are some real questions about the fairness and the process of the death penalty in the United States.
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[05:10:00]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. The man accused in a deadly car-ramming in Germany had a history of making threats against the country. Five people were killed in the attack Friday, more than 200 were hurt. Officials say that the 50-year-old suspect was a self-pronounced Islamophobe. CNN's Matthew Chance has more from eastern Germany.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, the German authorities have now acknowledged they did indeed receive a warning from Saudi Arabia about this individual that is now being held as the suspect in this Christmas market car-ramming. That individual has been named as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old man, a doctor, a psychiatrist who was originally from Saudi Arabia.
He is anti-Islam. He describes himself as an Islamophobe and has often posted on social media, you know, very aggressive messages against Islam. He called himself the most aggressive critic of Islam in history. He's been warning repeatedly on social media that Germany is trying to Islamize Europe, posting conspiracy theories and things like that.
You can see the marketplace behind me has still been sealed off with these police cordons everywhere as forensic teams scour through the debris of that attack, picking up any evidence they can, and of course, while cleaning the streets, to be frank of the blood that has been left on the pavement as a result of so many casualties.
Meanwhile, that suspect has made his first appearance in a German court with the judge there, placing him in pre-trial detention as this intensive investigation continues. Matthew Chance, CNN, Magdeburg in eastern Germany.
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SOLOMON: Saint Peter's Basilica keeping security concerns top of mind as it prepares to kick off the 2025 jubilee year and an influx of Christmas visitors over the next few days. CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb takes us to Rome for a rare peek inside the world's largest church.
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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm here at St. Peter's Basilica, the home of the popes, the site of the tomb of St. Peter and one of the Catholic Church's holiest sites. A huge amount of work has been going on to prepare for an influx of millions of visitors expected to be in Rome during the jubilee year.
(voice-over): Now, we've been granted special access to go inside the Basilica and show you what's been going on.
(on camera): Hello father Enzo --
ENZO FORTUNATO, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, ST. PETER'S BASILICA: Hello, Christopher, welcome to Rome.
LAMB: Well, thank you very much --
FORTUNATO: To the Vatican in this case. So --
LAMB: Wow --
FORTUNATO: Yes, it's wonderful, the biggest Church in the world. Now, we are near the holy door.
LAMB (voice-over): The opening of this holy door by the pope on Christmas eve will mark the beginning of the jubilee. A time of celebration and pilgrimage that usually occurs every 25 years. With its cement seal removed and keys retrieved, the door is now ready to be opened for 2025, which will allow pilgrims to pass through and receive forgiveness for their sins -- known as an indulgence.
[05:15:00]
FORTUNATO: After this moment, the pilgrim encounters the mother of God, the masterpiece of Michelangelo.
LAMB: The Pieta, which was attacked in 1972, has had its protective glass upgraded for the jubilee.
FORTUNATO: And this is the work of the pilgrim.
LAMB (on camera): OK, the pilgrims pass --
FORTUNATO: Yes --
LAMB: Yes, wow --
FORTUNATO: In front of us the Battle of Bernini, this altar is the center of the Eucharistic celebration. But also it's very important because there is the tomb of Saint Peter.
LAMB: Can we see that now?
FORTUNATO: Yes.
LAMB (voice-over): Access to the tomb of Saint Peter, the Church's first pope, is usually only possible with special permission. But as part of jubilee plans to boost the engagement, it and the holy door will be viewable via webcam live streams.
FORTUNATO: This is the devotion of every pilgrim.
LAMB: Saint Peter's has also launched a new magazine and even partnered with Microsoft to create an A.I.-generated digital twin of the Basilica that allows pilgrims who can't be there in person and others to explore every detail which could be useful, as the work to maintain St. Peter's is ongoing.
A special structure has been set up to restore its ceiling using techniques from the renaissance period.
FORTUNATO: Now, we are in front of the monument of Bernini, inside, there is the oldest chair of Saint Peter. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit in the Church. The Holy Spirit leads the Church. LAMB (on camera): Yes, it's not just a museum Church --
FORTUNATO: No --
LAMB: It's a living Church.
FORTUNATO: No -- yes.
LAMB (voice-over): A living Church that's now ready to welcome pilgrims from around the world in person and remotely for the jubilee. Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: All right, coming up, three teenagers helped police in New York identify a suspect after a woman riding the subway was burned alive in what police are calling a brutal murder. Plus, Donald Trump shutting down claims that billionaire ally Elon Musk is the shadow President.
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[05:20:00]
SOLOMON: Twenty one minutes past the hour and here's your morning roundup. A man accused of setting a woman on fire on a New York subway, burning her to death is now in custody. Officials say that the man approached the victim without saying a word and lit her clothes on fire Sunday morning.
In Orlando, a seven year-old boy injured in the chest by a fallen drone is now forced to undergo open-heart surgery according to local reports. It happened at a holiday drone show after several of the drones collided and fell in the crowd. The FAA is now investigating. And new this morning, Honda and Nissan are set to merge, creating the world's third largest automaker.
The Japanese car companies announcing Mitsubishi would also integrate its business. The resulting alliance could have a market cap north of $50 billion. Well, if you are dreaming of a white Christmas, a few flurries may be coming your way in parts of the country. Let's get to meteorologist Derek Van Dam tracking it all for us.
So, Derek, who might see some snow and selfishly, when are we going to get some relief from this cold in the northeast, it's brutal.
(LAUGHTER)
DEREK VAN DAM, METEOROLOGIST: Everybody wants to know. They blame the weatherman when it's not in their favor, right?
SOLOMON: Yes --
VAN DAM: I think this morning, if you're in -- let's say, Michigan or Wisconsin, you're getting these festive flakes and they're falling just in time for the Christmas season. So, maybe we get that coating of fresh snow. It will be cold enough to maintain that snow on the ground. So, we'll get a white Christmas, places like Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Michigan, that type of thing.
It's all because of this clipper system. It's also bringing the potential of some light freezing drizzle to central Wisconsin today. You can see it on the latest radar, we zoom it a little bit closer, not a significant storm system by any stretch of the means, but I want you to see what's going to happen as we advance this into the future.
The Winter weather alerts, they're extended all the way to our nation's capital. So, tomorrow, if you're in and around Washington D.C., could get a brief period of freezing rain on Christmas eve. So, if you're heading to friends, family, grandma, grandpa's house, that could certainly impact your travel plans.
But in terms of the festive flakes, you've got to look towards northern New England, into Michigan and central Wisconsin, to the south, of course, a little bit too warm for this to fall in the frozen variety. Over the western parts of the U.S., another storm system will bring mountain snow and valley rainfall.
You could see how active this forecast radar as we head into Christmas eve and Christmas day. Santa and his reindeer will have a very difficult time landing in this heavy rainfall, 2 to 4 inches --
SOLOMON: Yes --
VAN DAM: Of rain, central to northern California, through the Oregon and Washington coast, but a smooth-landing for Santa with several inches of snowfall in the higher elevations. So, in terms of the airports, no travel delays today along the east coast. Chicago with that weak clipper system moving through, could bring some delays through the course of the day today.
And as we look at the weather forecast for tomorrow, at the airports, again, with that system moving through D.C., that's the travel tricky spot for your Christmas eve. Rahel, festive flakes, what do you think about that?
SOLOMON: I like that festive flakes.
VAN DAM: All right --
SOLOMON: We've got to think about something that makes a more positive spin on the cold in the northeast because --
VAN DAM: I agree --
SOLOMON: All the words that come to mind, Derek, are not TV friendly. I've got to say --
[05:25:00]
VAN DAM: Not festive.
SOLOMON: I've got to say not festive. Yes, Derek Van Dam, thank you. VAN DAM: All right.
SOLOMON: And a holiday reminder. The boys are back for the biggest party of the year. Join Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen for "NEW YEAR'S EVE" live, coverage starts at 8:00 right here on CNN. And still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, a change of heart. As a senator, Joe Biden called for a tough death penalty.
But as he ends his political career, he's looking at commuting dozens of federal death row inmates. Plus, Donald Trump responds to jabs from Democrats who called out President Elon Musk for almost shutting down the government late last week.
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TRUMP: All the different hoaxes. The new one is President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk. No, that's not happening.
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